- Dec 1 Horace Heidt, American orchestra leader (Swift Show Wagon), dies at 85
- Dec 1 [Irving] Lee Dorsey, American pop and R&B singer (Working in the Coal Mine), dies at 61
Desi Arnaz (1917-1986)
Dec 2 Cuban-American singer ("Babalú"), bandleader, actor (I Love Lucy - "Ricky Riccardo"), and television producer (The Untouchables),r, dies of lung cancer at 69
- Dec 3 Bob Howard [Joyner], American swing jazz singer and pianist (Sing it Again), dies at 80
- Dec 5 Carmol Taylor, country songwriter, dies at 53 of cancer
- Dec 10 Kate Wolf [Allen], American folk singer-songwriter ("Love Still Remains"; "Across the Great Divide"), dies of leukemia at 44
- Dec 15 Serge Lifar, Russian-French dancer, choreographer (Paris Opera Ballet), dies at 81
- Dec 16 Marcel Quinet, Belgian pianist and composer (Vague et Sillon), dies at 71
- Dec 22 Celius Dougherty, American pianist and composer, dies at 84
- Dec 27 Lars-Erik Larsson, Swedish composer (God in Disguise (Förklädd gud, Op. 24); Linden), and pedagogue (Stockholm Conservatory; Uppsala University), dies of complications from diabetes at 78
- Dec 29 John Antill, Australian composer (Corroboree; New Guinea Patrol), dies at 82
- Dec 30 Jiri Jaroch, Czech composer, dies at 66
- Dec 31 Lester Trimble, American composer, music critic and educator, dies at 63
Country Singers
Jazz Singers
Opera Singers
Pop Singers
Rappers
Rock Singers